Dish-tongs or plate-lifter



(No Model.) I

"R. W. THESE.

DISH TONGS 0R PLATE LIFTER.

No. 353,331. Patented Nov. 30, .1886.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT .W. TEESE, OF WARREN, PENNSYLVANIA.

DISH-,TONGSHOR PLATE-LIFTER.

EPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 353,331, dated November30, 1886.

Application filed March 12, 1886, Serial No. 194,981. (No model.)

My invention relates to an improvement in dish-washers; and it consistsin" the combination of two metallic jaws, which are provided withhandles pivoted together and provided with suitably-shaped blocks ofwood which are attached to the jaws, and which are so recessed upontheir inner edges that they are adapted to hold articles and dishes ofany kind or shape whilebeing washed, as will be more fully describedhereinafter.

The object of my invention is to produce an implement by means of whichdishes of any kind can be lifted out of the hot water and held whilethey are being washed, and thus prevent the necessity of having to putthe hands in the water.

The accompanying drawing represents aperspective of an implementembodying my invention.

A B represent two jaws which are pivoted together by the bolt D. Thesetwo jaws are provided with suitable handles, 0, by means of which theycan be opened and closed at the will of the operator, for the purpose ofclasping and releasing the dishes or other articles that are to be heldwhile being washed. These jaws are preferably made of malleable iron,but any other suitable material may be employed for this purpose.

Riveted to the inner side of each one of the longer ends of the jaws arethe wooden blocks H, which are recessed upon their inner sides, asshown, for the purpose of enabling articles of different shapes to beclasped and'held be tween the points I of the two blocks. One of theseblocks is made longer than the other and is made to taper to a point, J,as shown. The jaw to which this block with a tapering end is secured isalso made longer than the other, and is tapered to a point, as shown.This point, formed by the ends of the block and jaw, serves as a meansto enable the jaws to be inserted between a number of articles placed ina pile, If both of the jaws are made perfectly blunt, it willbedifficult to grasp plates or other articles which are piled togetherwith the implement, and hence one of the jaws is made longer than theother and provided with apoint which can beintroduced freely betweenthem.

The articles to be washed are taken one at a time from the hot waterbetween the jaws, and are held while they are washed either with a hotrag or a special washer composed of a stick with a sponge or rag uponthe end. By this means the dishes can be washed without having to insertthe hands into the hot water. As the hands are not subjected to theheat, much hotter water can be used, and hence the dishes can be washedmore rapidly and to a better advantage. The blocks being made of wood,the dishes are much less liable to be broken in handling thaniftheimplement were made entirely of iron or other hard metal.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- The combination of the twojaws provided with handles at one end and thewooden blocks at the other,one of the jaws and one of the blocks being made pointed, substantiallyas set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT \V. TEESE. \Vitnesses:

J NO. M. SIEGFRIED, HARRY KITCHEN.

